BMW R1200RT/R1250RT Forum

Haven't been riding much lately. Start the bike (2015R1200RT, keyless ign) regularly in the shed...starts OK. Battery is about 18month old. This time, failed to start, (symptoms of a low battery) but after several attempts, it burst into life. BUT...now the whole instrument panel is dead. When the IGN button is pressed, the normal "clicking" sounds emanate from the bowels of the machine. The bike starts OK, battery fully charged. Don't know where to start, fuses, starter relay...I've got no idea where these things are!!Any suggestions v.welcome.Thx, Rickmeister.

When all else fails, read the instructions!! Found the fuses, both OK. Went to place meter across the battery, but v.difficult to get to the inboard post. Hit the IGN button, 'lo and behold, the instrument cluster burst into life, started the bike, everything seems to work OK. Anyway, delete all reference above and hopefully I'll get a ride in when this furshluginner lockdown goes away!Still don't know what caused it, though (the instrument cluster failure, not the Covid thing!!)
Rickmeister.

Does the 2015 not have the additional +ve "jump start" terminal post next to the battery?  That would make it very easy to use your meter.

Wow! I don't know. I'll pull the plastic off again (RHS) and have a better look. The older I'm getting, the more technophobic I'm becoming. Re: the dead instrument cluster...I wonder if pulling the fuses (there's only two of them) to check them, (thereby removing any power to whatever is still connected with the ignition off) has reset some electronic wizardry in the bowels of the instrument cluster??Thanks for the reply!

Yep! Sure enough, there is a post there to connect a jumper lead to the +ve terminal. Thanks for that. Measured the volts at 12.89, the inbuilt voltmeter in the instrument cluster indicates 12.3V, 0.6V low.

Was the voltage at the battery measured with the ignition switched on.

No...I didn't think of it. Will measure with the IGN on and get back to you.

My wife's 2012 also had a brain cramp today. I changed the oil and was riding it into the shed when I stalled it on the incline. It immediately died when I hit the starter button and showed no sign of life. It was as if there were no battery at all! I went out an hour later and it started as usual. I'd sure like to know what caused it because it'll be a much bigger problem if it happens to my wife when I'm not around!!
My first post and I'm not sure if I'm in the right place or not.
Any ideas please? :grave:

Strips wrote:I'd sure like to know what caused it. Any ideas please.

Could be an intermittent fault with the start/stop switch, they are known to be rather flaky.